Intro to Project States
Video Placeholder Duration: 3-5 minutes Topics covered: What are project states, default states, customizing states, tracking project lifecycle
What are Project States?
Project States categorize and track the lifecycle status of your projects themselves — not work items within projects, but the projects as a whole.
Answer questions like:
- Is this project in planning or execution?
- Which projects are on hold?
- What projects are completed?
Work Item States vs Project States
| Level | What It Tracks | Example States |
|---|---|---|
| Work Item States | Individual task progress | Todo, In Progress, Done |
| Project States | Overall project lifecycle | Draft, Planning, Execution |
Enabling Project States
Project States are a Pro-tier feature:
- Go to Workspace Settings
- Navigate to Project States
- Toggle Enable Project States
Once enabled, you can assign states to projects.
Default Project States
Plane provides six default states:
| State | Description |
|---|---|
| Draft | Project being defined |
| Planning | Requirements and scope being established |
| Execution | Active development/work underway |
| Monitoring | Ongoing maintenance or observation |
| Completed | Project finished successfully |
| Cancelled | Project discontinued |
Project State Flow
Projects typically flow from Draft through to Completion, with variations based on your process.
Customizing States
Edit Default States
- Go to Workspace Settings → Project States
- Find the state to edit
- Click Edit
- Change name and description
- Save
Add Custom States
- Go to Workspace Settings → Project States
- Click Add State (+ button)
- Enter state name and description
- Save
Example Custom States
- On Hold — Paused, awaiting decision
- In Review — Pending approval
- Beta — In testing phase
- Launched — Released to production
- Sunsetting — Being deprecated
Assigning Project States
From Projects View
- Go to Projects in the sidebar
- Find the project
- Look for the state indicator
- Click to change state
From Project Settings
- Open the project
- Go to Settings → General
- Find the State field
- Select the appropriate state
Using Project States
Filter Projects
View projects by state:
- Show only "Execution" projects
- Hide "Cancelled" projects
- Find "Planning" projects
Group Projects
Organize your project list by state:
- See all projects grouped by lifecycle stage
- Quickly identify where projects are
Portfolio View
Get a high-level view of your project portfolio:
- How many projects in each state?
- What's actively being worked on?
- What's been completed this quarter?
Project Properties
Beyond states, projects have other properties you can track:
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| State | Lifecycle stage |
| Priority | Project importance |
| Lead | Person responsible |
| Members | Team working on it |
| Timeline | Start and end dates |
Tracking Project Health
Combine project states with other data:
Project Overview
Each project shows:
- Current state
- Work item progress
- Cycle status
- Team activity
Portfolio Dashboard
Across all projects:
- State distribution
- Progress metrics
- Resource allocation
Best Practices
Consistent Definitions
Agree on what each state means:
- When does Planning become Execution?
- What qualifies as Completed?
- Document the criteria
Regular Updates
Keep states current:
- Update when projects transition
- Review quarterly
- Archive completed projects
Don't Over-Complicate
Start with the defaults:
- Add custom states only if needed
- Too many states = confusion
- 5-8 states is usually enough
Use for Reporting
Project states enable:
- Status reports to leadership
- Resource planning
- Portfolio health checks
Project States Example
Project Portfolio - Q1
Draft (2):
├── AI Integration
└── Mobile Refresh
Planning (3):
├── Customer Portal v2
├── Analytics Dashboard
└── API Modernization
Execution (4):
├── User Onboarding ← Active
├── Performance Optimization
├── Security Hardening
└── Documentation Overhaul
Completed (2):
├── Login Redesign ✓
└── Payment Integration ✓
Cancelled (1):
└── Legacy System Migration ✗Key Takeaways
- Project States track the lifecycle of projects (not work items)
- Enable in Workspace Settings → Project States (Pro tier)
- Default states: Draft, Planning, Execution, Monitoring, Completed, Cancelled
- Customize states to match your organization's terminology
- Use for filtering, grouping, and portfolio management
- Keep state definitions consistent and documented
Next Steps
Visualize your project data with Dashboards.
Next Lesson: Intro to Dashboards